31. Eggs Last Longer When Frozen
Cost: $0*
Purpose: Makes raw eggs last longer
You can definitely freeze eggs, and, while these frozen eggs can last for up to a year, it’s recommended you consume them within four months to make sure they taste the freshest. This hack is great for people who have a spare egg after a recipe that they don’t want to waste.
Eggs Last Longer When Frozen @buzzfeed/Pinterest
If you add salt, says The Pioneer Woman, frozen eggs won’t taste differently from fresh eggs. While you don’t want to freeze a hard-boiled egg, raw eggs can be frozen out of their shells. The easiest way to freeze raw eggs is to use an ice cube tray covered securely with plastic wrap.
32. Make Eggshell Candles
Cost: $10-$15*
Purpose: Upcycles eggshells into candles
This is a fun activity to do, particularly around the holidays. Rather than toss out your eggshells, you can turn them into candles with the help of a wood wick and melted wax. You can find candle wax on Amazon for around $10 to $15.
Make Eggshell Candles @chcottage/Pinterest
Again, large eggs are best for this hack. Boil and dry the eggshells thoroughly before filling them with wax and inserting a wick. If you want, you can paint or dye the eggs beforehand to add an even more festive kick.
33. Try Making Eggshell Planters
Cost: $10-$20*
Purpose: Upcycles eggshells into organic planters
You can turn an eggshell into a small planter, if you want, in addition to using it as a seed starter. This works best for small flowers, and this hack works most optimally when you use large, brown, organic eggshells.
Try Making Eggshell Planters @slmoran21/Pinterest
Clean the shells, poke a drainage hole at the bottom, and fill it with the soil and seed or flower of your choice. If the flower outgrows the egg, don’t worry, as finely-crushed shells can be transplanted back into the soil as an organic calcium source for your plants.
34. Always Add Eggs Slowly To Batter
Cost: $0*
Purpose: Makes sure batter mixes properly
This cooking principle is a good one to remember if you are baking, particularly if you’re using butter in your batter. Eggs and butter can help each other out in cooking (as you’ll also see on this list), but they do not mix naturally.
Always Add Eggs Slowly To Batter ©otnaydur/Shutterstock
Butter is four-fifths fat, while eggs have a lot of water. So, if you’re adding eggs to melted or creamed butter for a recipe, be sure to do so slowly, adding them one at a time. This will give everything in the mixing bowl a chance to mesh together with a nice suspension.
35. Fat And Eggs Are Cooking BFFs
Cost: $5-$10*
Purpose: Cooking eggs in fat makes it taste the best
When you’re making fried eggs, fat is your friend. By “fat,” we mean butter, or, if you’re in the South, bacon grease. Butter is great for fried eggs, but extra-virgin olive oil is the fat of choice if you want a runny yolk and crispy white.
Fat And Eggs Are Cooking BFFs @onediocom/Pinterest
Granted, there are few health benefits when you’re cooking a fried egg in fat, but you’re not doing it to be healthy. You’re doing it to add flavor. Should you eat this every day? No, but a treat on occasion is a delicious option to choose.
36. Fish Spatulas Are Great When Cooking With Eggs
Cost: $15-$25*
Purpose: Fish spatulas are great for making eggs with
You can find fish spatulas for around $15 to $25 on Amazon and at stores like Target, Home Depot, and pretty much anywhere that sells kitchen goods. Fish spatulas aren’t just great for fish, however.
Fish Spatulas Are Great When Cooking With Eggs @Google/Pinterest
They’re also amazing to cook eggs with, thanks to how thin and bendable they are. Fish spatulas’ thinness lets them get under the egg easily, avoiding the breakage of the yolk and egg white. Up your egg-cooking game by adding a fish spatula to your kitchen tool roster.
37. Keep The Heat Low When Cooking With Eggs
Cost: N/A
Purpose: Prevents burning and helps the eggs cook evenly
A big mistake that a lot of people make when cooking eggs is cooking them on high heat. Preheat your pan on a medium-heat, but then reduce that heat to medium-low after you add the eggs. This lower heat level will keep the eggs from burning.
Keep The Heat Low When Cooking With Eggs ©Vova Shevchuk/Shutterstock
It will also help them cook more evenly. This goes for pretty much any egg preparation, from making sunny side up eggs to scrambling them. Eggs are delicate, which makes them intolerant of high heat.
38. Always Use A Non-Stick Pan
Cost: $65 for a Zwilling pan*
Purpose: Best way to cook eggs without ruining them or making a mess
According to Bon Appetit, a “nonstick fry pan” is the “best pan for eggs, hands down.” If you’re making omelets, scrambles, or fried eggs, you want a fry pan that is, as BA put it, “as slick as a greased-up air hockey table.”
Always Use A Non-Stick Pan @minimalistbaker/Pinterest
Eggs aren’t just super-delicate, they are also very sticky, and, when cooked in a non-nonstick pan, they are impossible to clean. Food & Wine found the best nonstick pan to be the Zwilling Non-Stick Frying Pan, which you can find at Zwilling.com for $65.
39. Crack Eggs On A Flat Surface Only
Cost: N/A
Purpose: Food safety, and it’s also easier
If you have issues getting pieces of shell in your bowl after you crack an egg, it could be because you are cracking the egg improperly. Use a flat surface, such as your countertop or tabletop, to crack an egg—not the side of the bowl.
Crack Eggs On A Flat Surface Only @Google/Pinterest
Hold the egg lightly and swiftly rap it onto the flat surface, cracking it thoroughly (without smashing it). This is easier and less messy, and it also has a food safety benefit. Salmonella can live on the outside of the eggshell, so cracking it on a flat surface minimizes exposure to the rest of the egg.
40. Season Scrambled Eggs Before Adding Them To The Pan
Cost: $0*
Purpose: Timing is key when seasoning eggs
There’s a trick to timing when you season your scrambled eggs, as you don’t want to season them too early, nor do you want to season them too late. Season your eggs after you have mixed them in the bowl.
Season Scrambled Eggs Before Adding Them To The Pan @seriouseats/Pinterest
Don’t season them in the pan. Don’t season them too early, either, as the salt and spices can break down the egg, making it watery. Add your seasoning and then immediately start cooking your eggs in your nonstick pan.
41. Roast Eggs For A Crowd
Cost: $15-$25 to make*
Purpose: Eggs en cocotte is a great recipe for making bulk eggs
Eggs en cocotte is a great way to make eggs for a crowd, and it involves baking/roasting slightly-coddled eggs at a high heat with cream and butter. The cream and butter thicken as they cook, forming a sort of gravy.
Roast Eggs For A Crowd @tripadvisor/Pinterest
You’ll need a large casserole dish, butter, cream, and a dozen or more eggs. You can add your herbs (mint, parsley, basil, dill, chives, etc.) as you wish. NYT Cooking has the full how-to. When cooking for a crowd, eggs en cocotte is a great option (so long as no one is lactose intolerant).
42. Room Temperature Eggs Are The Trick To Souffles
Cost: $3-$6*
Purpose: Makes a perfect souffle (or, at least, gives you the shot at one)
Few baked goods are as tricky as the souffle, which is a tough dish to master even for experienced chefs. One key to making a great souffle is to let your eggs heat up to room temperature before you use them.
Room Temperature Eggs Are The Trick To Souffles @Leake100Days/Pinterest
Egg whites beat up better at room temperature. You’ll want to separate them while they are cold though, cracking them one at a time to make sure that no yolk gets into the whites. The Food Network’s “Cooking School” has a tutorial on how to make “a perfect souffle,” for those who are interested.
43. Don’t Eat Raw Batter (Sorry)
Cost: N/A
Purpose: Keeps you safe from salmonella
“What’s the worst that can happen?” You might have asked yourself that when sneaking a taste of raw batter from a cake, cookies, or brownies. We’re here to tell you that things can go south fast, as ingesting raw eggs and raw flour is very risky.
Don’t Eat Raw Batter (Sorry) ©Andrei Salavei/Shutterstock
Raw eggs can contain Salmonella, which can be on the inside and outside of the egg (so be careful when handling eggshells, too). Salmonella will make the healthiest among us pretty sick, causing a potentially-deadly illness for vulnerable people.
44. Scramble An Egg To Make A Hair Mask
Cost: $5*
Purpose: Makes a hair-strengthening mask
While raw egg might not be something you will want to eat, a raw egg hair mask, on the other hand, is worth a try. You can make this moisturizing mask by beating an egg in a bowl and adding milk (whole is best, for the fat).
Scramble An Egg To Make A Hair Mask @dailymail/Pinterest
Then, spread the mix onto your hair, massaging it into your scalp. Leave the mixture on, covered with a shower cap to avoid leaks, for twenty minutes. Then, rinse it out with shampoo and cool water. The result? Shiny, strong locks that have been nourished by the egg and milk.
45. You Can Poach Eggs In The Microwave
Cost: $3-$6*
Purpose: Makes poached eggs in 2 minutes
You can use a microwave to poach an egg, and who knows? Maybe you’ll have better luck with this method than with the stovetop. First, crack an egg into a teacup or ramekin that you have filled with three tablespoons of water.
You Can Poach Eggs In The Microwave @melaniecooks/Pinterest
Pierce the yolk and the white in a few places. Then, heat in the microwave on high for forty-five seconds. Stop the microwave, rotate the dish, and continue to hit on high for another forty-five. Finally, let the poached egg sit for half a minute before serving.
46. Eggs + Banana = Pancakes
Cost: $5-$10 to make*
Purpose: Two-ingredient pancakes
Banana pancakes really only require two ingredients (plus whatever toppings you want to add). You’ll need a ripe banana and two large eggs, lightly beaten for this recipe. As far as equipment, you’ll need a nonstick pan (or one you’ve greased with oil or butter).
Eggs + Banana = Pancakes @foodnetwork/Pinterest
The Kitchn has the full recipe for this hack. You’ll want to mash your banana until it’s like pudding and then add your eggs. Cook two tablespoons of this batter at a time for one minute per pancake, and then sprinkle it with toppings.
47. Make Easter Egg Cakes
Cost: $20-$30 to make*
Purpose: A fun Easter baking project for the whole family
Courtesy of Buzzfeed, this recipe is fun for Easter, providing a good way to upcycle your eggshells. You can make these eggshell cakes using twelve brown eggs, a thumbtack, a wooden spoon, vegetable oil, foil, and more.
Make Easter Egg Cakes @buzzfeed/Pinterest
The Buzzfeed article has the full recipe, as there is quite a lot of prep involved to make sure the shells are ready for this project. Be sure to follow the instructions exactly, as this eggshell cake project requires a lot of steps.
48. Use One Eggshell To Fish Out Another
Cost: $0*
Purpose: Easy way to get eggshell remnants out of the baking bowl
One thing sure to put a bee into any baker’s bonnet is having to fish out broken eggshells from your bowl of batter or raw egg. Luckily, there is an easy way to get out these broken shells, all thanks to the saying, “like is drawn to like.”
Use One Eggshell To Fish Out Another @wonderhowto/Pinterest
You can use a piece from the eggshell you just cracked to attract the slippery, hard-to-reach shell in the bowl. The piece in the bowl will be drawn to the shell, allowing you to scoop it out easily, with no need to get your hands dirty.
49. Check Out The German Fried Egg Cake
Cost: $20-$25 to make*
Purpose: Makes a fun holiday, egg-themed cake
Known as Spiegeleierkuchen in Germany, German Fried Egg Cake is a fun treat to make for Easter (or any time you want a taste, really). Though that is not an actual fried egg atop the cake, this treat does require four eggs.
Check Out The German Fried Egg Cake @sprinklebakes/Pinterest
You can find the full recipe on My German Recipes. The key ingredients are vanilla pudding and canned peaches, along with a dash of lemon zest to give the cake some kick. When you’re done, you’ll have the perfect Spiegeleierkuchen to eat along with a cup of hot, strong coffee (like the Germans do).
50. How To Make Creamy Scrambled Eggs
Cost: $5-$10 to make*
Purpose: Makes creamy, soft scrambled eggs
While some love fluffy scrambled eggs, others tend to gravitate more towards creamy scrambled eggs. One mistake people make when making creamy scrambled eggs is that they add milk or cream. That actually has the opposite effect, turning the eggs colorless and rubbery.
How To Make Creamy Scrambled Eggs ©Ivan Dragiev/Shutterstock
Additionally, according to Front Range Fred (who has a recipe for “the BEST soft and creamy scrambled eggs” on his website), butter is the way to go, not oil. Oil leads to fluffy scrambles, while cooking with butter adds the creaminess some desire in their eggs.